The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-09-24
my father! oh! thought you said

/ OF ms crime ana Its result, yet the
| secret of his real identity was a secret
| still, known only to himself and to me.
| Nobody but me dreamed that the name
| of James Orton' was an assumed one.
! 4 marble maidstone in a private Gem
! etery bore the name that was rightfully
| his But he was dead to me now, al
| most as much so as if the body had
buried had really been his
Seven years went by, years of fancied
security and peace. | was beginning to
| think that the shadows that had so long
darkened my pathway would be dis
PEELED at last | thought the worst
| that fate had in store for me had hap
pened, and looked forward to an old
| age that would be peaceful. Butt is
| ever so. When our feet are upon the
brink of the abyss that is opening to
receive US, we are fancying ourselves
the safest
1T was the night before Christmas. |
sat in my chair doing, when the girl
| came in, saying a stranger was in the
hall, asking to speak with the mistress
| told her to send him in.
"A large man, closely cropped and
closely shaven, came in and sat down
near me.
there was a disgusting familiarity
in his manner that aroused my anger.
who are youY | asked.
He took a card from his pocket and
gave it to me.
81 read the name inscribed on the
card. 1t was one that | had never
heard before, Joshua Britt
What is your business at this time
of night?'
81 was trembling. ! knew not why.
He filled me with fear of something,
! could not tell what
My business is to stop with you.
Comfortable place this And he looked
| about him with so insolent an air that
| put my hand on the bell-rope.
Don't do that, said he in a warn
ing voice Don't do that; you'd be
sorry if ! should explain my errand
here before your servants
"He reminded me somehow, in spite
of his changed appearance, of But
no! The thought died as soon as it was
| born.
a grip like that of death clutched
at my heart
Explain your meaning He bent
| forward He looked into my face with
dreadful leer.
"ThenI knew him.
Susan, don't you know me? Pm
your dear husband, come back from
| the grave, come back from the prison,
to console your grief for my long alb
sence Your dear husband. Aren't you
! glad to see me, Susan?
| - ha f,,l
| ony of that dreadful hour.
Gradually, as | could bear it, ne told
me the story of his escape. How he
| had overpowered a chance visitor, had
exchanged clothing had left him in
his cell, one more innocent than him
| self, to suffer for his sins Assuming
the identity of his victim, he had come
straight to me. And, penniless as he
was, thief, murderer, villain, with me
| he insisted apon remaining. There is
kind OF suffering deeper and more
terrible than that which strikes us
! dead at the first blow A kind that
! paralyZes the heart and freezes tine
blood, that kills by slow degrees.
That was mine.
by and by, he told me his plan. His
marriage ceremony with him, and take
the name he then bore,
His changed appearance would en-
able him to escape recognition, by
those who once knew him, and he
would live on at the Evergreens in Sc
curity with me.
Gut for the stain which would have
been cast on the family, by my de-
nOunc.ng him then and there, / would
have handed him over to the law he had
| outraged. But so far no suspicion of
the truth was known. He had plotted
/ and schemed and carried out his villain
les in such manner that no breath of
! scandal had Alta he'd itself to his name.
Once more, to shield that name, l
consented to his plan, and on Christ
mas NOR ing the ceremony took place.
But my conscience now gave me no
rest. lay and n ght, night and day,
sleeping or waking, my mind turned
upon the prisoner in that prison cell.
Had he friends? lad he a wife? a
child, perhaps! | would find out For
my own peace of mind it were better
to know the worst.
"By the aid of some old letters which
were in the pockets of the clothes my
husband wore, found such knowledge
as assisted me to the end had in view.
Let me skip the details of the search.
Suffice it to say that l fOund-oh
mercifuI &Od IN the wife of that vic
tim recognized the friend of my
youth. he was i'll, she was poorl ]
brought her and her child to my home
! saw that mother pine and die, mourn
ing for her husband so mysteriously
; lost, and | held my peace. But, oh.
it WAS hard. | buried her And still
said no il ng.
"There was still the child, girl Of
seven Years Home ess, penniless,
worse than orphaned. | determined
that child should be mine, to care for
to love. ! meant, too, that no more in.
noceut Victims should suffer for the
sins of the guilty. Dora, that child
WIS you She paused.
"Eut the end of all the deception
! the plotting, the misery, is at hand
To-day J determined to tell all, will
my dying breath. / denounce him
Joshua rift, James Orion, Jonathan
Udderzook. Behold him.
The guilty wretch whitened, shud
dered at the accusing voice. But he
did not deny.
Mrs rift turned her filing eyes
toward the spot where her guilty hus
band WIS standing.
Jonathan Jdderzook, behold you
work. Your sin has found you out.
gO-to-sin-nC-
Her tace was Iivid; her voice faltered
stopped
Give her some brandy" cried More
anything that VIII stimulate her. BE
quick, or 1t viii be too late"
1t was already too late. Her head
settled down heavily upon her arm. \
shiver ran over the thin frame, a hut
tering sigh came through the parted
lips.
More rose from his knees.
It is a over. said he quietly Ssh,
is dead way with the prisoner
CHAPTER NNIIL
TIE LAST
Tho .,-,r,+- - l.